Where Is Neodymium Found? 7 Top Regions Compared

Neodymium is found mainly in carbonatite rocks, weathered clays and heavy mineral sands, inside the minerals bastnaesite and monazite. By rare earth mine output, the leading regions covered here are China, the United States, Australia, Myanmar and Thailand, Africa, Russia and Brazil. China alone mined about 270,000 of the world’s 390,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide in 2025, according to USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.

One point changes how you should read every figure on this page. Nobody mines neodymium by itself. It comes out of the ground mixed with other rare earths, and official statistics count the whole group as rare earth oxide (REO). So this guide ranks regions by rare earth output, then shows what is known about the neodymium share at named deposits.

Where is neodymium found in the world? The short answer by region

The table ranks seven selected regions by 2025 estimated mine production, using USGS figures. Reserves are the part of a resource judged economic to extract. “Not available” means USGS does not publish a reserve figure for that country.

Other producers on the USGS list, including Vietnam (150 tonnes) and Malaysia (110 tonnes), had smaller or separately reported output. Greenland, Canada, South Africa and Tanzania hold reserves but recorded no mine production in 2025.

How we chose the top 7 regions

We selected seven regions and ranked them by one metric: estimated rare earth mine production in 2025, from the February 2026 USGS report. We grouped neighbouring producers where they share a supply route or a continent, which is why Myanmar and Thailand sit together and why Madagascar and Nigeria are counted as Africa. We did not rank by neodymium tonnage because no official world series for neodymium mine output exists. Reserves are shown beside output because the two lists tell different stories, as Brazil shows.

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Rare earth mine output by region

Tonnes of rare earth oxide, 2025 estimates, selected regions

Neodymium mines and deposits: the top 7 regions

1. China: the largest source of neodymium

Best known for: scale at both the mine and the refinery. China mined 270,000 tonnes of REO in 2025, about 69% of the world total, and holds 44 million tonnes of reserves.

The largest operation is Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia, an iron mine that also yields bastnaesite and monazite. A USGS professional paper on rare earths (2017) lists a reported resource of 800 million tonnes at about 6% rare earth oxide, an older estimate for the whole deposit. The same paper lists Maoniuping and Daluxiang in Sichuan and Weishan in Shandong as carbonatite deposits producing at that time. Southeastern provinces mine ion-adsorption clays, which are valued more for medium and heavy rare earths than for neodymium.

China’s larger hold is in processing. Natural Resources Canada puts its share of refined rare earths at 90% in 2024, against 69% of mined output. A neodymium atom mined elsewhere may still pass through China before it reaches a magnet.

2. United States: Mountain Pass

Best known for: a long-running hard-rock bastnaesite mine. USGS estimates US output at 51,000 tonnes of REO in 2025, with bastnaesite mined as a primary product at Mountain Pass in California and monazite recovered from heavy mineral sands in the southeastern states.

Mountain Pass is operated by MP Materials. The company reported 50,692 tonnes of REO in concentrate and 2,599 tonnes of NdPr oxide for 2025. NdPr means neodymium and praseodymium, two elements that are usually sold together. The company also said it stopped selling to China under its 2025 agreements with the US government. Beyond California, the USGS paper discusses Bear Lodge in Wyoming and Bokan Mountain in Alaska as US rare earth occurrences; neither is a producing mine in the USGS output figures. Our guide to Wyoming rare earth deposits covers that state in detail.

3. Australia: Mt Weld and the next projects

Best known for: high grade and a growing project pipeline. Australia mined about 29,000 tonnes of REO in 2025 and holds 6.3 million tonnes of reserves by the USGS count, of which USGS says 3.3 million tonnes are JORC-compliant or equivalent.

Mt Weld, near Laverton in Western Australia, sits in an ancient volcanic plug. Lynas Rare Earths reports August 2024 Mineral Resources of 106.6 million tonnes at 4.12% total rare earth oxide (TREO) and Ore Reserves of 32.0 million tonnes at 6.4% TREO. In the year to 30 June 2026, Lynas produced 7,260 tonnes of NdPr, up from 6,558 tonnes a year earlier. Concentrate goes to Kalgoorlie and to the company’s refinery in Malaysia.

Two undeveloped projects show how the neodymium share varies. Arafura Rare Earths’ Nolans Bore, 135 km north of Alice Springs, reports Mineral Resources of 56 million tonnes at 2.6% TREO (June 2017), with NdPr making up about 26% of the oxide. The Yangibana Joint Venture’s July 2026 study reports an Ore Reserve of 20.93 million tonnes at 0.90% TREO, with NdPr at 37%. The lower total grade at Yangibana comes with a richer mix. See our Australia mining map for how these sites sit among the country’s other mines.

4. Myanmar and Thailand: large output, thin public data

Best known for: supply into China. USGS estimates 22,000 tonnes for Myanmar (listed as Burma) and 4,800 tonnes for Thailand in 2025. Myanmar fell from 27,000 tonnes in 2024, while Thailand rose from 2,100 tonnes.

Treat these as less certain than the figures above. USGS footnotes say they are estimated from China’s reported import data, not from mine records, and no reserve figure is published. Natural Resources Canada notes that China and Myanmar remain almost the only producers of the highly valued heavy rare earths, so this output matters to magnet makers beyond its neodymium content.

5. Africa: small output, serious deposits

Best known for: undeveloped ground. USGS estimates 2,700 tonnes for Madagascar and 1,500 tonnes for Nigeria in 2025. Tanzania has 890,000 tonnes of reserves and South Africa has 860,000 tonnes, with no recorded mine production in either.

The USGS professional paper lists Ngualla in Tanzania (measured resources of 81 million tonnes at 2.66% TREO, a 2013 company figure), Steenkampskraal in South Africa (measured resources of 85,000 tonnes at 19.5% TREO, an unusually high grade on a very small tonnage), Songwe Hill in Malawi and Lofdal in Namibia. These figures are dated, so check the current company filing before relying on them. For one country in more depth, read our Madagascar mining industry guide.

6. Russia: Lovozero

Best known for: a different ore. Russia’s output is estimated at 2,600 tonnes in 2025, with 3.8 million tonnes of reserves. The USGS paper describes Karnasurt Mountain at Lovozero, on the Kola Peninsula, as a peralkaline igneous deposit whose loparite concentrate holds 30 to 35% REO. Peralkaline rocks are igneous rocks rich in sodium and potassium relative to aluminium. This is hard-rock mining, not a sand or placer operation.

7. Brazil: second-largest reserves, early output

Best known for: the widest gap between ground and production. Brazil’s reserves of 11 million tonnes rank second on the USGS list, while its mine output was about 2,000 tonnes in 2025, up from 560 tonnes in 2024.

The USGS paper lists the Araxá carbonatite in Minas Gerais state among known deposits and the Buena Norte district as a historic and then-active monazite producer from coastal sands. The newest name is Serra Verde, which operates near Minaçu in Goiás. A July 2026 sector summary by Northern Minerals records a US$565 million US International Development Finance Corporation package and a 15-year offtake covering neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. An offtake is a contract to buy future output. In April 2026 Serra Verde also announced an agreed combination with USA Rare Earth.

Which country has the most neodymium?

China, on any public measure. It leads mine output and holds about 44 million of the more than 75 million tonnes of rare earth reserves USGS counts worldwide, which is under 60% of the total. But the reserve list is incomplete, because several producers have no published figure. The reserve ranking after China runs Brazil, Australia, Russia, Vietnam, the United States and Greenland.

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Rare earth reserves by country

Million tonnes of rare earth oxide, selected countries

Output and reserves do not line up. Vietnam holds 3.5 million tonnes yet reported only 150 tonnes of output in 2025. The United States holds less than a third of Australia’s reserves but mines more. A consultant comparing jurisdictions should look at both, plus who can separate the oxides.

Where does neodymium come from? Rocks, minerals and deposit types

Neodymium is element 60, a lanthanide metal. The Royal Society of Chemistry records that Carl Auer von Welsbach separated it in Vienna in 1885, and that the main commercial sources are monazite and bastnaesite. Its natural state is locked inside minerals, so miners recover it as part of a mixed concentrate and the metal is made later by chemical reduction.

It is not scarce in the usual sense. USGS gives an average crustal abundance of 41.5 parts per million, and a USGS fact sheet says the more abundant rare earths are similar in crustal concentration to everyday metals such as nickel and copper. What is uncommon is a deposit concentrated enough to mine.

For more on how these ore bodies form, see our guide to types of ore deposits.

How is neodymium mined and processed?

Mountain Pass, Bayan Obo and Mt Weld are all open-pit mines, according to USGS. After mining, ore is crushed and concentrated, then cracked with chemicals to give a mixed rare earth product. Separation is the hard part: the Royal Society of Chemistry notes neodymium is extracted by ion exchange and solvent extraction, because rare earths behave so alike chemically. The oxide is then reduced to metal and alloyed with iron and boron for magnets.

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From ore to magnet in 5 steps

1. 1MineOre is dug, often from an open pit.
2. 2ConcentrateCrushing and separation raise the rare earth content.
3. 3CrackChemicals turn the concentrate into a mixed rare earth product.
4. 4SeparateSolvent extraction isolates neodymium oxide.
5. 5Make metalOxide is reduced to metal and alloyed with iron and boron.

This chain explains why a country can mine a great deal and refine little. US figures show it plainly: 51,000 tonnes of REO in concentrate in 2025, against about 8,900 tonnes of compounds and metals, according to USGS.

What is neodymium used for, and where are neodymium magnets found?

Magnets are the main reason anyone looks for it. The neodymium-iron-boron alloy, developed in 1983 according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, makes very strong permanent magnets used in phones, loudspeakers, car parts and wind turbines. Natural Resources Canada reports that magnets took 47.6% of world rare earth demand in 2024. Smaller uses include coloured glass, welding goggles and lasers.

Neodymium price: what the market is paying

Trading Economics showed neodymium at 922,500 yuan per tonne on 5 November 2026, down 2.64% over a month and up 35.66% over a year. That is a China-based quote on a contract tracking the benchmark, so it will differ from a Western contract price.

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Neodymium oxide average price

US$ per kg, 99.5% minimum, annual average; 2025 is an estimate

USGS annual averages for neodymium oxide (99.5% minimum) moved from US$134 per kg in 2022 to US$56 in 2024 and an estimated US$73 in 2025. Lynas reports the average China domestic NdPr price, excluding VAT, rose from US$55.0 per kg in June 2025 to US$100.8 in June 2026. Lynas also describes a firm offtake with a US$110 per kg NdPr floor price. Floors of this kind mean the price a Western project can plan on may no longer match the China quote.

How to judge a neodymium deposit claim

If someone offers you a rare earth licence or asks you to review one, the headline grade is only the start. Work through these checks.

1. Find the neodymium share. A TREO grade counts every rare earth. At Nolans the NdPr share is about 26% and at Yangibana it is 37%. A high TREO grade rich in cerium and lanthanum is worth far less: USGS shows cerium oxide near US$1.71 per kg in 2025, against US$73 for neodymium oxide.
2. Check the category. Reserves, measured, indicated and inferred resources carry different confidence, and a selling document should say which it is using. Ask for the reporting code and the date.
3. Identify the host mineral. Bastnaesite, monazite, loparite and clay each need a different process route, so a grade from one cannot be compared directly with another.
4. Ask where it will be separated. With China holding 90% of refined output in 2024, the route from concentrate to oxide can decide the economics.
5. Check for radioactive by-products. USGS links thorium supply to the mineral monazite, and Nolans Bore is described by its owner as a deposit that also carries uranium and thorium. Handling rules vary by country.
6. Screen the ground. Our list of rare earth exploration companies shows who holds what. Satellite imagery can help map alteration and structure before you plan sampling lines, but it does not replace assays or a resource estimate.

Neodymium prospecting: how explorers look for new deposits

Explorers start with geology: known carbonatite complexes, alkaline intrusions and the weathered ground above them. The USGS paper describes favourable settings for clay deposits as regions where rare earth-bearing rock has weathered in a warm, wet climate, and it says heavy-mineral concentrates from stream sediment are a useful sampling technique. Geochemical sampling and drilling then test the idea.

Satellite-based mineral detection sits ahead of that work. Farmonaut screens a licence boundary from KML or polygon input and returns exploration targets in 5 to 20 business days; these targets are not a resource estimate and do not guarantee a find. To discuss a site, use the mining query form or contact the team.

Anyone prospecting on the ground needs the landowner’s permission and the correct licence, and should stay off other people’s claims and protected land. Never use mercury.

▶ Remote sensing for mining, explained in about two minutes · 2:01

Environmental issues where neodymium is mined

The impact depends on the deposit type and the process, so one description does not fit all. The USGS paper notes that sulfide minerals are scarce in carbonatite and alkaline rare earth deposits, which reduces or removes concern about acid mine drainage at those sites. It also says data on how rare earth mine waste behaves in the environment remain limited and that assessments rely on predictive models.

Thorium in monazite-bearing waste is a separate matter for regulators, and water use and tailings are the usual focus of approvals. Recycling is a partial answer only: USGS says limited quantities of rare earths were recovered from batteries, magnets and lamps in the United States in 2025.

Where neodymium supply may come from next

Look for ground that holds reserves but has little or no output. Canada has more than 14 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources by the USGS count and is not yet a commercial producer, with Nechalacho in the Northwest Territories among its advanced projects. Greenland has 1.5 million tonnes of reserves and no output. Vietnam and Tanzania also stand out. Our Canada mineral deposits map shows the wider picture there.

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Who gained and lost output

Thousand tonnes of rare earth oxide, 2024 to 2025 estimates, selected producers

Output is already shifting at the margin. Between 2024 and 2025, USGS estimates show rises in the United States, Thailand, Madagascar and Brazil, and a fall in Myanmar. Financing by the US government at Mountain Pass and Serra Verde shows the policy interest in supply outside China.

▶ The environmental impacts of mining, explained · 2:31

Frequently asked questions

Where is neodymium found?

In the minerals bastnaesite and monazite, and in weathered clays. The main producing regions are China, the United States, Australia, Myanmar and Thailand, with smaller output from Africa, Russia and Brazil.

Where is neodymium mined?

Named mines include Bayan Obo and Maoniuping in China, Mountain Pass in California, Mt Weld in Western Australia and Lovozero in Russia.

Which country has the most neodymium?

China, with 270,000 tonnes of rare earth mine output in 2025 and 44 million tonnes of reserves (USGS, 2026). These figures cover all rare earths together.

Who mines neodymium?

Producers include MP Materials in the US and Lynas Rare Earths in Australia. In China, the USGS paper names Baotou Rare Earth at Bayan Obo.

What is neodymium ore?

There is no ore of neodymium alone. The usual ores are bastnaesite and monazite, which also hold cerium, lanthanum and praseodymium. Loparite and ion-adsorption clays are other sources.

What is the natural state of neodymium?

It occurs bound in minerals, not as a loose metal. The metal is made after mining, by reducing a purified compound.

Where was neodymium discovered?

In Vienna in 1885, when Carl Auer von Welsbach split a substance called didymium into neodymium and praseodymium. That was a laboratory separation, not a mine site.

Is neodymium rare?

Not in the crust as a whole, at 41.5 parts per million on the USGS figure. Deposits rich enough to mine, and plants able to separate it, are the scarce part.

Is there a neodymium deposits map?

The USGS professional paper on rare earths includes a world map of deposits by type, and it is the best public starting point. Confirm the current status of any site with its owner’s filings.

Are neodymium magnets found in nature?

No. They are manufactured from an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron, and the alloy dates from 1983. Natural magnetite is a different material.

Does the US mine neodymium?

Yes, as part of bastnaesite at Mountain Pass, California, where MP Materials reported 2,599 tonnes of NdPr oxide in 2025.